Nanoscale probing of electron-regulated structural transitions in silk proteins by near-field IR imaging and nano-spectroscopy

Nan Qin, Shaoqing Zhang, Jianjuan Jiang, Stephanie Gilbert Corder, Zhigang Qian, Zhitao Zhou, Woonsoo Lee, Keyin Liu, Xiaohan Wang, Xinxin Li, Zhifeng Shi, Ying Mao, Hans A. Bechtel, Michael C. Martin, Xiaoxia Xia, Benedetto Marelli, David L. Kaplan, Fiorenzo G. Omenetto (), Mengkun Liu () and Tiger H. Tao ()
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Nan Qin: State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Shaoqing Zhang: the University of Texas at Austin
Jianjuan Jiang: State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Stephanie Gilbert Corder: Stony Brook University
Zhigang Qian: State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Zhitao Zhou: State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Woonsoo Lee: the University of Texas at Austin
Keyin Liu: State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Xiaohan Wang: the University of Texas at Austin
Xinxin Li: State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Zhifeng Shi: Huashan Hospital of Fudan University
Ying Mao: Huashan Hospital of Fudan University
Hans A. Bechtel: Nano-FTIR, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Michael C. Martin: Nano-FTIR, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Xiaoxia Xia: State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Benedetto Marelli: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
David L. Kaplan: Tufts University
Fiorenzo G. Omenetto: Tufts University
Mengkun Liu: Stony Brook University
Tiger H. Tao: State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Nature Communications, 2016, vol. 7, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract Silk protein fibres produced by silkworms and spiders are renowned for their unparalleled mechanical strength and extensibility arising from their high-β-sheet crystal contents as natural materials. Investigation of β-sheet-oriented conformational transitions in silk proteins at the nanoscale remains a challenge using conventional imaging techniques given their limitations in chemical sensitivity or limited spatial resolution. Here, we report on electron-regulated nanoscale polymorphic transitions in silk proteins revealed by near-field infrared imaging and nano-spectroscopy at resolutions approaching the molecular level. The ability to locally probe nanoscale protein structural transitions combined with nanometre-precision electron-beam lithography offers us the capability to finely control the structure of silk proteins in two and three dimensions. Our work paves the way for unlocking essential nanoscopic protein structures and critical conditions for electron-induced conformational transitions, offering new rules to design protein-based nanoarchitectures.

Date: 2016
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms13079

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